


Do You Mind?

by ragnorfellintomyheart



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec has a lot of thoughts, Did I mention this is just fluff?, Dot's also a mind reader, M/M, Magnus can read minds, Meliorn and Izzy are just briefly mentioned but they are together, Mundane!AU, This is just pure fluff tbh, high school!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 15:50:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14023545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragnorfellintomyheart/pseuds/ragnorfellintomyheart
Summary: After visiting a fortune teller, Alec Lightwood decides to test out if anyone in his class can read minds. When he shouts as loud as possible in his head, he's horrified when the only person to flinch and turn around is Magnus Bane. The boy he's been non-stop thinking about all year.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Gah! It's finally up! 
> 
> I'm pretty proud of this piece so I hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> Thank you so much to my beta @bcnedrah for looking over everything.

Alec looked down at the paper on the desk in front of him, trying to make sense of the equations littering the page. The numbers were looking less like actual numbers and more like some sort of headache. He had been in the middle of working on a particularly difficult one before his mind had started to get side tracked and well, who could blame him if his thought process had taken an entirely new direction by some glittery, gorgeous, colourful whirlwind of a man?

_God, that hair. I wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers through it… tug it maybe? Fuck imagine tugging on it. It looks soft. Really soft. He probably uses the really expensive products that would take me a month to save up for. Imagine all of the dates he could take you on. Restaurants, movies- you’re getting sidetracked. Did he do something different with his hair today? The gold highlights really accent his eyes, probably intentional…of course it’s intentional Alec, this is Magnus Bane we’re talking about._

_Oh fuck, he’s looking this way._

Alec cursed the day that Magnus had moved to their class almost daily. He had always been a good student, consistantly achieving A grades, attention always focused on the task ahead and he was sat on getting into a good college to study English. His grades were still great, not leaving their top spots but his attention was another issue entirely. Ever since the first day that Magnus had set foot in the dreary classroom, Alec had been unable to take his eyes away. His mere presence seemed to brighten any area Magnus set foot in.

He glanced up from the page, finding a set of golden eyes still focused on his direction from the other side of the room.

_Shit, he’s still looking. Why is he still looking? Is he smiling? That’s adorable. That little half smile where one side of his mouth quirks up… fuck. Is he smiling at me? Alec moved his attention back to the desk, attempting to hide the hint of pink that was currently flushing over his cheeks. Don’t be ridiculous, Alec. Why on earth would he be smiling at you?_

Alec shook the thoughts from his mind, turning back to the paper and the countless numbers that seemed be mocking him for his crush.

The sound of a bell rang through the class and Alec heard the sounds of desks and chairs scratching against the hard floors as students made their way out of the room. Alec continued staring at the page that mocked him, wondering what had happened in his life to make him unable to even finish a simple math quiz. Oh, right. Magnus happened. That’s what. There were at least five minutes between now and the next class starting so Alec focused, scribbling down as many answers onto the page as he could think of.

By the time Alec had vacated his seat, the room was empty save for himself and the teacher. He passed the test over to his teacher with a half-hearted smile that he hoped looked at least a little bit sympathetic and left the classroom without giving his teacher a chance to comment about the test. He tried not to be disheartened that Magnus had left, after all he had no reason to stay behind for him. Sure, he might have smiled at him. Might. That doesn’t mean he’s interested, Alec probably had something on his face that was worth laughing at. Oh god, did he? He pulled his phone from his pocket, flipping onto the camera and checking his image in the screen. Everything seemed normal, no sign of ketchup from his lunch or drool that might have escaped with his thoughts. Nope, he looked fine. Well, as fine as he could.

Alec moved to turn his phone screen off, catching sight of a familiar figure in the camera before the screen went black. Arms wrapped around his waist from behind and he felt a head pressed against his shoulder.

“Hey big bro, how was class?”

Alec offered a noncommittal grunt in response, feeling the arms remove themselves as his sister moved to stand in front of him. Her hair was tied back in a braid, the usual sign that she had just been in the labs and she crossed her arms over her chest, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrow at the same time.

“You flunked again, didn’t you?”

“No!” The word came out a lot more defensive than Alec had been expecting and he frowned, running a hand through his hair. “There was nothing to flunk. We just had a worksheet to do.”

Isabelle’s expression didn’t change, a clear sign that she knew Alec was hiding something from her. Normal siblings wouldn’t pick up on things like that. Normal siblings would accept an answer for what it was before throwing some comment abouthimbeing a noob before leaving the other sibling alone. Not Isabelle. She could tell if Alec was lying about the colour of his socks and she wouldn’t leave the subject alone until he told her the truth. Normally Alec loved how close he was to his sister but not in these moments.

“And perhaps, maybe I didn’t do the worksheet.” Alec fought back the urge to flinch as Isabelle’s eyes narrowed, the dark circles turning almost ferocious. “In class, anyway.” Alec stepped back instead, throwing his hands up in defence. “What?? I’m not failing, Iz. My grades are as good as ever. In fact, I had a meeting with Mr. Aldertree this morning and he thinks I have a very good chance of getting into Yale. 94% in fact.”

The response seemed to give Isabelle enough satisfaction that she backed down, sighing gently. “Dios, Alec. Out of everyone to get hung up over a boy, no one expected it to be you. And you seem to have it the worst.” She turned around, walking in the direction of her next class. The halls had mostly gone silent by now and her heels sounded loudly against the tiles. “Why don’t you just talk to him? He seems nice enough.”

Alec felt the blush creep up on his cheeks again. “I-I can’t. He’s… he’s… and I’m… no. No way, I can’t talk to him.”

Isabelle groaned. “Aleecc, are you being serious right now? You’ve been crushing on him for almost a year now. You won’t stop pining over the very ground he walks on but yet you won’t even consider for a second that maybe, just maybe he might like you back? You won’t even find out?”

“No, Iz.” He shook his head, hoping to also shake the colour from his face. “He would never… with me. I mean, out of everyone in this school I have the least chance of getting him.”

“And why, dear brother, is that?” Isabelle’s eyebrow raised again in a challenge.

“Because. I’m me. I’m a nerd, a nobody. I’m ‘Jace and Isabelle’s brother.’”

Isabelle rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue in annoyance. “You’re our very hot, very single brother who gets just as much attention as everyone else. You’re on the football team, Alec. You’re captain of the football team. Sure Jace might be star player but you’re the only thing holding that team together. Give yourself some credit.”

“No one cares about the captain. This isn’t Pirates of the Caribbean where everyone worships the captain of the ship. I’m just the guy that barks orders at everyone and 9 times out of 10, no one even listens to them. Magnus is… everything. Everyone loves him, respects him, he’s probably the most popular guy in school aside from Jace.”

Isabelle scoffed, pulling her hair from it’s braid and shaking the locks free. She smiled sweetly at a couple of boys that were making their way down the corridor and Alec rolled his eyes at the lolling of their tongues. God why did he end up with the family that could put the Kardashians to shame?

“So let me get this straight. You won’t ask Magnus out because you’re scared that he’ll find you as big of a loser as you think you are and he won’t see you for the insanely attractive, captain of the football team, who’s most likely to be President someday guy that everyone else sees you as?”

“I… yes. That’s why.”

“You’re insane, Alec.”

They made their way into the café, the usual spot that the siblings occupied on their free periods. Isabelle waved to the man behind the bar, a suave smile that Alec knew all too well as her ‘I’ve got you wrapped around my little finger’ smile and barely a second later, the coffee machine was being started up.

“Says you." Alec carried on with their conversation from before. "You can get anyone with a flick of your hair. The last time I tried asking someone out, I completely embarrassed myself and they still said no.”

Isabelle chuckled at the memory before seating herself in the plush sofa at their booth. Alec took the seat opposite, finding more comfort in actual chairs than the low sofas that couldn’t support his height. “To be perfectly honest, Alec. You weren’t actually interested in Lydia at all, were you?”

The man who had been behind the bar, Alec thought his name might have been Meliorn but he never paid much attention to his sister’s flings, came over carrying two steaming mugs of coffee. Isabelle grinned, taking the mugs from his hands before pulling Meliorn down and planting a kiss on his cheek. Alec pulled his own mug over, taking a sip and using the opportunity of the oversized cup to roll his eyes at the display.

“So, what if I can find out if he’s interested in you? …Alec? Are you listening?” Alec brought the mug down from his lips, already missing the heat and taste of the coffee. His sister’s eyes were trained on his and Meliorn was nowhere in sight. Her lipstick was smudged slightly from the kiss and once she was certain that she had Alec’s attention, she dug into her bag to retrieve the tube of makeup. “Let me repeat again. If I can find out if Magnus is interested, will you ask him out?”

“I… what? No, you’re not doing that!”

“You’re such a butthead, Alec! Why??” Isabelle took a sip of her coffee, carefully avoiding her freshly painted lips. “you need it.”

Alec went to take another sip, stopping just before his mouth “Need what?”

Alec had never actually seen someone’s jaw hang open before. Sure it always happened on TV shows and cartoons but never in real life had he seen someone’s jaw drop. Until now, when he looked at his sister. Alec must have let his confusion shine clearly on his face as Isabelle shook her head in disbelief. “Dios, Alec. I can’t believe I’m related to you sometimes.” Isabelle put her mug down on the table before leaning forward over the table. “You know, a boyfriend. Sex? Hell, I’d even be proud if you just found someone to hook up with. You’re a right grump with all of that tension.”

This time it was Alec’s turn to gawp. Had his little sister really just told him that he needed to have sex? Were they having that conversation right now, in the middle of the school’s cafeteria? “Isabelle!” Alec spluttered the word, his cheeks burning.

“What?” His sister seemed completely unaffected by the outburst as she sat back on the sofa. “It’s true. You can only fantasize so much before it gets too much.” Alec didn’t have to look to know that his cheeks must have been the colour of Isabelle’s lipstick. His whole face felt alight and he was beginning to feel butterflies in his stomach.

“Can we… can we change the subject, please?”

Isabelle sighed, seeming to give up on her conquest to make Alec uncomfortable as she looked at the community board that was hanging next to their table. She scanned through the leaflets, not paying them much attention before one seemed to catch her eye. “Hey, you remember when dad made us go to that psychic show a few years ago on vacation?”

Alec did remember that show. Extremely well. It was a five dollar nightmare that turned out to be a total flop and Alec had found himself going around the room pretending to be a chicken under the illusion of being hypnotised. He cringed as the memory resurfaced itself.

“What about it?”

Isabelle reached over, plucking the leaflet from the board and holding it out in front of her. In big letters read DOROTHEA, PSYCHIC AND FORTUNE TELLER along with a time and tomorrow’s date. Alec looked over at his sister, not liking the glimmer in her eyes.

“No, Isabelle. Not a chance.”

“Alec!” Isabelle pouted, the perfect puppy dog face that she had been practicing since she was a baby. “It’ll be fun! We all know that these things aren’t real. You’re just being a…” Alec opened his mouth to protest, his hand reaching over to cover his sister’s. Unfortunately, she got there first. “Chicken!” Isabelle seemed proud with herself, the smirk covering her face with glee as she blurted out the words.

“I hate you.” Alec sat back in his chair, running a hand over his face. “Why do I put with you?”

“Because you’re my brother. And I’m an angel.” Isabelle’s smirk was now a grin and she took another sip of coffee, victory shining in her eyes. “Come on, we can just sit at the back of the room and laugh at the people who get hypnotised. Please?” When Alec didn’t respond, Isabelle heightened the puppy eyes to their full power. “I’ll leave you alone about Magnus if you come?” That was too good of an offer to resist.

~*~

Alec was late for class. Even after everything that had been going on this year; his lack of concentration, his failed tests, he had never once been late. And now he was pegging it through the hallway, every bit of his energy focused on turning each corner while he ran towards the classroom.

Okay, so he had over-exerted himself at practice yesterday. Out of everything Alec had been expecting, seeing Magnus Bane watching from the bleachers was not on his list. And he had thoroughly surprised himself when he decided that he was going to show off in front of the other man. He had pushed himself to his limit and now every bone in his body regretted it. Seeing the big tardy mark on his record was making him regret everything.

He turned another corner at full speed, seeing the classroom in his vision when he suddenly collided into something. There was a yell and then Alec found himself falling to the ground, pushing whatever he had collided into down with him. His eyes were closed. Braced for impact but when he found that the floor wasn’t as hard as it should have been, he cracked an eyelid open and instantly wished that he hadn’t. Underneath him, face less than a centimetre apart from his own, golden eyes wide with shock, was Magnus Bane in the flesh.

“I…” Alec felt a lump in his throat the size of Jupiter. He choked his words out and wondered in that moment if he was going to be sick. “I am so sorry… I didn’t… are you… hurt? I didn’t see…. Oh my god… I am so sorry.” Magnus was still watching him silently, eyes still wide and unmoving from where they met Alec’s own hazel. Alec what are you doing? Get off of him! Despite his mind’s protests, Alec couldn’t bring himself to move. He was just staring, almost challenging the other man’s stare. Magnus raised his eyebrow and Alec could see his make up perfectly from this close. The smooth eyeliner, smoked eye shadow and were those fake or his real eyelashes? That was undetermined.

Magnus blinked, cutting off the connection between them for less than a second and Alec suddenly remembered the situation that he was in.

_Holy shit, what am I doing? This is it. He hates me. I knocked him over and now I can’t even bring myself to get off of him. I probably ruined his coat and Jesus he looks good in that coat. This is going to be the only time I’m ever going to be in this position with him and I blew it. I absolutely blew it. Way to go, Lightwood. You fucked everything up with the guy you like and now he’s never going to look at you again._

A small sound brought interrupted Alec’s thoughts and he realised that Magnus was chuckling softly. His eyes widened at the sound and it pulled him to his senses enough to push off of the man in front of him and stand up, extending his hand out for Magnus to take. Surprisingly, Magnus accepted the hand and pulled himself up, still chuckling to himself.

“Well, that was certainly a new way to meet someone.”

“I… I am so sorry. I wasn’t expecting to have anyone come round the corner and I wasn’t looking and oh god, you’ve got dust all over you.” Alec looked over the other man, taking in his dishevelled appearance and feeling guilt wash over him. He couldn’t see himself but he was fairly certain that his face had to be bright red. The only thing that could have made this situation worse was if there had been anyone there to witness it.

 _The last thing you need right now is anyone suspecting that… that you’re… the team would go mental_.

Magnus, who seemed to have started chuckling again simply brushed down the front of his coat and shook his head fondly. “You shouldn’t be sorry. I’ve never minded getting dirty.” And god forbid, he winked. Magnus winked. At Alec. After implying…. _Was he flirting? Is that flirting?_ Alec was sure his face turned 100 times redder. “Although I must say, I feel sorry for anybody you tackle on that football field. Those are some muscles.” He was definitely flirting.

Alec tried to respond, his mouth opening with words on the tip of his tongue but his vocal chords failed him. Magnus was sporting perhaps the most devilish grin on his face as he looked Alec up and down. Then the other man walked past, perhaps not-so-coincidentally brushing his arm against Alec’s. “Next time you want to pin me to floor. Just ask, okay?” Was Alec even still breathing anymore? He couldn’t feel his lungs working. In fact, he couldn’t feel anything working. The smell of Magnus’ cologne filled his nose as he walked past. “And Alec?” He turned around, the smile still pinned to his sinful face. “Class was cancelled. You can take a breather.” And he was gone.

Time seemed to freeze. The touch of Magnus’ arm brushing his seemed to send Alec’s body into completely overload. The sound of his voice as he spoke those words. At Alec. Was this a dream? Had he just slipped while running and was now nursing a concussion? Was he even alive and this was just the light at the end of the tunnel?

His heart was beating at 1000 beats a second and his ears were ringing, his whole body tingling from the frantic thudding. The moment was replaying itself in his mind over and over like a broken record and he never wanted it to stop. He wanted to live in this moment forever, knowing that Magnus had not only touched him but had spoken to him, flirted with him even. He had seen Magnus flirt before, constantly jealous of the meaningless words that he directed towards people he barely even knew but he had never expected them to be aimed at him. What would Magnus possibly see that was worth flirting with?

The thoughts seemed to hit Alec suddenly.

_They didn’t mean anything. Those words. He was just being friendly, because that’s how Magnus is when he’s being friendly. He flirts and makes jokes with people. Alec felt his face fall, his heart starting to finally beat at a solemn rhythm. It doesn’t mean anything to him. *I* don’t mean anything to him. It’s just something he does. He was making light of the situation. That’s all._

Alec kicked the wall next to him gently, cursing himself for getting his hopes up. He bowed his head, shaking it lightly as the humiliation spread through him. Magnus must think I’m an idiot. Standing there blushing and speechless while he plays around with his words. God, Alec. Why are you so stupid? A small vibration followed by the familiar tune of his ring tone and Alec dug his phone out of his pocket, greeted by the picture of Isabelle he had set for her contact. She spoke almost immediately when he answered the call.

“You’re still coming right?”

Alec had to work the words out of his throat. “Um… coming to what?”

“Alec…” Isabelle’s groan was audible down the phone. “The fortune teller? Room 502? It’s in an hour. You remember now?”

Shit, that was happening today. “Oh, right. Yeah. Of course I’m coming.”

“Good. See you then!”

Alec heard a giggle as she ended the call and wondered why he’d agreed to this. To stop her bugging you, that’s why. This had better be worth it.

~*~

Alec shimmied into the door of the classroom, finding Isabelle easily standing over by the window, her arm linked with Meliorn’s. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he was here. Meliorn had his free arm lightly touching Isabelle’s waist, just slightly lower than Alec would’ve liked.

“Alec, you came!” Isabelle grinned, pushing Meliorn back slightly at the sight of her older brother. The other male didn’t seem impressed and Alec had to bite back a smirk.

He shrugged instead, leaning his back against the wall. “Not like I had anything better to do.” He glanced around the room. All of the windows had been covered by pieces of cloth and there was a faint mist accompanied by the scent of incense. Every desk had a small, glass ball and a pack of cards on them. Alec got flashbacks of the last time they had attended a fortune-teller and shuddered.

Isabelle took her place next to him, leaning her head against his arm. Meliorn, who had taken a seat at one of the desks glanced back, blowing a kiss in Isabelle’s direction before facing the front. Isabelle noticed her brother’s expression and rolled her eyes. “You’d do the same if you were in a relationship.”

“I would not-“

“Silence!”

The word boomed around the classroom, the voice amplified somehow. Alec and Isabelle both cut their conversation, turning their attention to the front of the room where a new figure had appeared. Madam Dorothea had not been what either of them were expected. She was young, only a couple of years older than the students in the classroom and her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun. A dark red gypsy skirt hung off her thin frame, accompanied by a loose fitting shirt of the same colour. Necklaces, in a myriad of colours ad types adorned her neck, a bright green gem standing out amongst them.

“You are here to learn about fortune telling. Not to converse. Please, take your seats.” The voice that had barked the command seconds earlier was now soft, almost friendly. Everyone took seats at the desks, save for Alec and Isabelle who chose to keep their places by the wall. They were the only ones here to watch, it seemed. “Today I’m going to teach you about tarot cards, what their purpose is and how we use them.”

The “class” continued on, everyone taking the cards out of their packets as Madam Dorothea instructed everyone on the correct way to hold them and which cards stood for which fortune. “The human mind is a wonderful thing, capable of talents that most people aren’t aware of. A lot of people refer to fortune telling and mind reading as magic, something that doesn’t exist. I’m here to teach you that they are wrong. If a human wishes, they can unlock the part of their mind capable of such things.”

Dorothea was walking around the room, correcting people’s hand placements and making sure they were holding the correct cards. Alec found himself rolling his eyes at her speech. _Surely no one was buying this?_ He looked down at Isabelle, finding his sister’s face full of wonder as she listened to the fortune teller. _Oh boy. She was really falling for this crap?_

“You there. At the back.” Alec looked up, finding Dorothea’s eyes trained on him, a single finger pointed in his direction. He turned his head from side to side, trying to see if there was anyone else it could be directed at. “No, you. With the dark hair.” Dorothea walked down the rows of desks before she stood almost less than a metre in front of him.

“I… me..?” Alec felt a hand on his arm, realising that Isabelle was now looking up at him, her eyes wide.

“If you think that this class is, as you called it, crap. Why are you here?” Dorothea’s words were calm, the slight hint of amusement in them. Alec felt his eyebrows go up. _He hadn’t said the class was crap. Not out loud anyway… had she…?_

“Uh… I…” Alec couldn’t find the words to say. This had to be a trick, she must have read his facial expressions and come to the conclusion that he wasn’t enjoying it. There was no way she could actually read his mind. Right?

“You!” Her attention snapped elsewhere, her head whirling around and her finger pointing at a new victim. Alec recognised the leaf tattoo covering his cheek. “This is a classroom, not a whorehouse. Please keep your inappropriate thoughts at bay.” Alec had never seen Meliorn show any ounce of emotion before, now his entire face was engulfed in a red flame, his eyebrows shot up in confusion and wonder. Alec felt his sister’s cheek pressed into his arm. She too was probably just as red. “As I was saying…” Dorothea walked back down the rows to the front of the class, folding her arms calmly behind her back and small smile stretching her lips. “You have the potential to do it, you just need to believe.”

~*~

As much as Alec tried, he couldn’t get the class out of his thoughts. He’d sat through three other classes, constantly wondering if she had been right in the class, that people could read minds. There were always people who claimed that they could by reading a person’s facial expressions and body language. Dorothea was probably one of them. She’d seen Meliorn and Isabelle together and assumed what he’d be thinking based off of that. She’d seen Alec at the back, judged his expression and stance and used that as her basis. But the words… using the exact word that Alec had thought was filling his mind with doubt. Even as he sat at the dinner table that night, looking over at his family he wondered about it. His dad had been the one to originally suggest they go to that first fortune-teller show and had been very insistent about it. _No, you’re being stupid. If dad could do that, you’d know. There’s no way in hell that dad would have no idea about your sexuality if he could read minds._ Alec tried not to act worried when his dad looked over in his direction at that moment.

“Hey, dad. We went to one of those fortune teller things earlier today didn’t we Alec?” Isabelle seemed to have gotten over any embarrassment from the class and had sat in the cafeteria with Meliorn gushing about the class and how amazing it was.

Robert seemed indifferent to the idea, not taking his eyes off of the salad in front of him. “How did that go?” The question was without emotion and Alec couldn’t help but notice how disappointed Isabelle looked.

“It was really fun! She showed everyone how to use tarot cards. She even read a couple of people’s minds.” Isabelle chuckled at the memory, keeping her attention locked on their father.

Alec took a sip of his drink, chuckling along with his sister in a half-attempt to make her feel better. “It was pretty weird.”

Their father looked up at that, his expression remaining cold. “You didn’t have school work to be doing?”

The words stung a bit. If Alec had said that they had taken part in an extra football practice, Robert would be all for it. Anything else was a waste of time in his eyes.

“No, we had a free period afterwards and caught up then. Alec helped me with my English and I helped with his maths. We’re alright.”

Robert nodded his head, returning his attention back to his food. It was their younger brother Max that sat with wide eyes, listening to what siblings had been saying.

“She read your mind? Really?”

“Yeah, Maxy! It was super cool. She read Alec’s and told him to stop being so grumpy.” The two launched into their own conversation, Isabelle telling Max everything about the experience as he asked questions with awe. Alec looked over at their dad, hoping that he wouldn’t make a comment towards the pair of them. Instead, Robert finished his dinner silently and stepped out of the kitchen without any further words.

 _Well, I guess that proves he definitely can’t read minds. Either that or he really doesn’t care at all._  Alec wasn’t sure which one was worse.

~*~

When Alec stepped into his math class the next day, his mind was buzzing with new possibilities. He tried to focus as the teacher explained their next worksheet. In fact he even tried to focus on Magnus, who was sat in his usual seat near the front, wearing a sinfully tight pair of jeans and a sheer shirt. However his attention would not let go of the knowledge he had possibly discovered. Of course he knew it was stupid-mind readers didn’t exist. This was the real world. But still… it was worth a shot wasn’t it?

_What was the best way to try and expose a mind reader? Well, thinking something about them would do the trick… but what if you didn’t know who they were? What would gain someone’s attention?_

_Shouting._

This was a long shot, Alec knew that. But there was no harm in trying. He sat in his chair, trying to look as passive as possible as he tried to think of the loudest thought that he could, a silent scream that if someone was able to read minds, they couldn’t just ignore it.

To his surprise, he saw movement near the front. A person winced at the sound, visibly squirming in their seat. Alec was about to celebrate at the victory of possibly discovering a mind reader when the figure turned around and Alec realised exactly who had winced at his words.

Magnus Bane.

Alec tried to calm himself down. He could feel his breath getting faster as those familiar golden eyes landed on his and if he wasn’t briefly aware of the classroom he was currently sat in, Alec wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t have dropped to the ground. There was no way. Magnus couldn’t… this had to be a coincidence. He tried to peel his eyes away, lower them to ground and make himself seem as unsuspicious as possible but his body was betraying him. Magnus furrowed his brow in concern, cocking his head to the side.

“Are you okay?” Magnus mouthed the words clearly enough and Alec still couldn’t bring himself to respond.

_No, No I’m not._

The thought was clear enough. He kept looking at Magnus, hoping to see some reaction from him. Any sign that would further confirm his suspicions, but the other man seemed ignorant to the advance, his concern growing more apparent. “Do you need some air?”

Great, Magnus thought he was having a panic attack. Was he having a panic attack? He didn’t feel like it. Alec had suffered many of them in his short life and they never felt like this. This was just… shock. It had to be. Shock that the guy, who for the past year, had been the subject of almost every single one of Alec’s thoughts, inappropriate and otherwise, was possibly a mind reader and had heard them all.Shit, now he was beginning to panic. He tried to think of things that would calm him down. The coffee that he’d that morning, the way Max had looked when he tried some and his face had screwed up so much Alec had compared him to a crushed soda can. The cute way his cat had fallen asleep last night next to Alec’s head and he felt his breathing start to slow down, the pounding in his head receded to a dull ache.

He was aware that Magnus was watching him. If not directly, he could see the turn of his head occasionally and the same concerned expression plastered on his face. Alec made sure that when he caught the other man looking, he nodded his head as a sign to say that he was alright now. Magnus gave him a nod back along with a smile. It took a lot for Alec not to think about it too much.

Something had changed between them since the incident yesterday; or so Alec thought anyway. The first barrier had been broken- well multiple barriers if you took into account that Alec had ended up on top of him before they’d spoken their first official words to each other. Even before Alec’s almost-but-not-quite panic attack, Magnus had been paying more attention than he had previously. As Alec had entered the room, he received a small smile and wave from the other male and now Magnus actually seemed worried about him? That Magnus was finally beginning to take notice of him was every hope and dream that Alec had experienced in his life, even before the two had even met. Magnus, one of the most wanted guys in school and definitely the most gorgeous out of them was paying attention to Alec. _Oh, if Izzy was here now…_

She had kept her end of the promise, not mentioning Magnus since Dorothea’s class and Alec, despite complaining about it in the first place wanted to talk to her and get her advice on where to go now that the first bridge had been crossed. He could leave out the whole “Magnus could be a possible mind reader” part. Although he was sure that Isabelle wouldn’t consider him insane for thinking so. He pulled out his phone before considering it further.

**Alec:Can I meet up with you at lunch? SOS**

**Izzy: Sure thing, bro. Do I need to bring tissues and ice cream?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! This was actually all supposed to be posted as one long work but ao3 seemed to have other ideas and cut it off mid way. I'm posting the second half as a new chapter. 
> 
> Once again, thanks to my beta and everyone who enjoyed the first half!

**Alec: Funny, Iz. No. Just need some advice.**

**Izzy: *insert eye roll emoji***

Alec shook his head at the messages, pocketing his phone again before turning his attention back to the teacher. He glanced over in Magnus’ direction, hoping to find those golden eyes facing him, but unfortunately was greeted with the back of the other man’s head which, although quite beautiful in itself, not what he had been hoping for.

When the bell rang for the end of class, Alec felt satisfied that he’d been able to actually get a full worksheet done. He pushed back his seat, reaching down to grab his bag as the shadow of a figure blocked the light in front of him. Alec looked up and felt his jaw fall open as he saw Magnus standing in front of him, running a hand through his hair. “Hey, do you think we can talk?”

~*~

They were tucked around the corner of the building, away from other people’s eyes and ears. Alec’s sweaty palms were doing nothing to ease the anxiety of talking to Magnus and he rubbed them against the fabric of his jeans. Magnus was watching him, his brows furrowed. They’d been standing for at least a couple of minutes now, both of them silent as if they were no longer certain about what they wanted to talk about. It was an awkward silence, the kind that made the air feel thick enough to cut and Alec tried to fight his urge to run away.

“Are you alright?” Magnus’ smooth voice ended the silence between them and Alec opened his mouth, trying to think of any words to respond to the question, but failing. “Alec…” There was softness in his words, a softness that Alec had never expected to see in someone who was as bold and confident as Magnus. It was a side of him that not a lot of people got to see, Alec imagined. “I know that you don’t exactly know me very well, but you can talk to me. I know what a panic attack looks like.”

“I… it wasn’t…” Alec turned his gaze back to the floor. As much as he was grateful for the gentle words, Alec couldn’t look at Magnus for too long without feeling the blush across his cheeks. He cursed himself. Even when he’s genuinely being nice and friendly, you can’t keep your Goddamn mind off of other things.

“Alec.” Magnus’ voice was firmer this time; firm enough to cause Alec’s eyes upwards again. Magnus had taken a step towards him and Alec could feel the anxiety begin to resurface in the small space that separated them. “Mental health is something that’s really serious. I do want to help you.” “There’s nothing to help.” Alec stepped back, trying to keep his voice as level as possible, despite the pounding in his chest.

“I’m fine, I promise. I just… I had a bad night’s sleep and I realised that we’ve got a game tonight that I’m not prepared for. It freaked me out.” It was a convincing lie, Alec thought. It was true, to some extent as well. Alec hated that he had gotten so good at lying after years of keeping secrets from his parents. It had definitely given him some ugly traits. “I promise, I’m fine.” He stole a glance at Magnus, faintly smiling at the other man.

Magnus’ face seemed no less concerned than it had been before the conversation but he sighed, his own smile stretching across his lips. “If you’re sure, then okay.” He reached out, patting his hand against Alec’s arm reassuringly. Alec felt another flush of red across his face at the touch. “But hey, I’m always here if you want to talk. Five desks away.” Magnus’ smile grew, his fingers slightly squeezing at Alec’s bicep. Alec tried to keep his emotions at bay.

“T-thanks…”

Magnus gave another reassuring squeeze before he dropped his hand and his face lit up, returning to the usual grin that Magnus normally sported around people. It was almost scary how fast he transitioned from this heartfelt, gentle man back to bold and extravagant. “The only screams I like to hear are the positively raunchy ones, preferably caused by myself.” And in true Magnus fashion he winked his beautiful wink and walked off, leaving Alec dumbfounded once again. Alec’s mouth hung open as he watched the other man leave, slow to process his words.

_Wait. Did he just…?_

_~*~_

Alec slid into his chair opposite Isabelle in the cafeteria, his face slightly breathless from how quickly he had escaped from the corner after Magnus walked off. Isabelle glanced up from her coffee, amusement spreading over her features as she noticed her brother. “Heeyy, big bro. You look a little flustered,” she grinned cheekily, leaning forward over the table. “Did something finally happen with Magnus?”

“No.” Alec retorted, takinga swig of the water that Isabelle had on the table, staring his sister’s expression down. “Well, maybe? I don’t know. Not in what way you’re thinking.”

“What are you talking about?” Isabelle smacked her brother’s hand, grabbing the bottle of water back for herself.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy…” The expression Isabelle shot him made Alec roll his eyes.

“Seriously, Iz. I think Magnus might be able to read minds.”

“Wait… what?!” Isabelle almost dropped the bottle as the words left Alec’s mouth. He had expected her to laugh, to tell him that he was indeed crazy and needed help. Instead Isabelle leaned forward, dropping her voice. “What makes you think that?”

“After Dorothea’s class, I thought that maybe I’d give it a try… you know, she seemed to be able to read mine. And there was no harm in checking, right? So I shouted. In my head. And well, he flinched. Magnus, that is. He flinched after I shouted and turned around to look in my direction.” Isabelle’s eyes widened at Alec’s explanation and she slowly leaned forward more, taking in the words. “He spoke to me after class, as well.” Alec tried not to let his cheeks burn. “And he mentioned it, the screaming. I mean, I think he hinted that he heard it.”

“What did he say?!” Isabelle dropped her voice again, realising her outburst. “What did he talk to you about?”

“I… uh, I got a bit anxious after the shouting experiment and he picked up on it. He took me outside after class to tell me that I could talk to him if I wanted and that he was there for me.”

“Aww, see! I told you he cared about you!” Isabelle grinned. “But seriously Alec, what did he say about the screaming?”

“He…” _Nope, the blushing’s back._ “He said that he usually only liked hearing screaming if he was the one causing it.” Isabelle’s hand grabbed Alec’s, her fingers squeezing his until they almost hurt. Alec could tell she was trying her hardest not to squeal. “He was flirting?! Alec!”

“It wasn’t flirting, so much. He talks like this to everyone, Iz.”

“Don’t deny yourself this, Alec. He flirted with you regardless. What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.” Alec ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “That’s why I’m asking you.”

“You want me, your little sister, to know what you should say when the person you like is possibly a mind reader?” She raised her eyebrow “And has been listening to every thought you’ve had about them?”

“Isabelle… please. I just want to know how to ask him. If anything, you can at least help with that.” Isabelle sighed, taking another sip of her coffee. “Okay, well first you’ve gotta find out for sure. Perhaps let him know that you know he can read minds? Or that you at least suspect he can?”

“How do I do that?”

“That’s up to you.” Her voice was serious now. “Maybe ask him a question mentally and see if he responds? That’s always a good first step.” Alec ran his fingers through his hair again, thinking about the past few days. This whole situation was crazy. He couldn’t believe that he was discussing with Isabelle how to find out if his crush could actually read minds. “And then what? Wait for him to approach me?”

“Well,” Isabelle crossed her legs, looking more mature than Alec had ever seen her. He was reminded that his little sister wasn’t so ‘little’ anymore. “Judging by your personalities, I’d assume that Magnus will probably approach you about it.”

“Right… of course. And then what?”

“Well that all depends on what Magnus does.” Isabelle shrugged, flashing one of her devilish grins. “You can either kiss the face off of him or at least ask the guy out. God knows you’ve been waiting for long enough. When are you next in class with him?”

“First thing tomorrow morning.” “So tomorrow morning we end this.” Isabelle had perked up now, obviously excited about all of this. “You ask Magnus a question, see if he answers it and then you guys get together. Happily ever after!”

“This isn’t a story. It’s not just ‘Ask him a question and we get together.’ This whole conversation is insane, Iz. Stuff like this – magic, mind readers – doesn’t exist.”

“Sure it does, Alec. You heard what Dorothea said, everyone has the ability to. You just need to tap into your true potential.”

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” Alec asked, rolling his eyes and leaning back in his seat.

“You’re the one asking advice on how to ask out your crush if he can read minds. I don’t think you’re in any place to say that you don’t believe in it.” Alec couldn’t think of a counter argument. He knew Isabelle was right. There was no room for disbelieving anymore.

“Okay… tomorrow morning.”

~*~

Alec could hardly sleep that night. His mind kept going over the possible scenarios for the next morning over and over and he was too anxious to rest despite the exhaustion that had set into his bones after the game. He had seen Magnus in the bleachers, eyes trained on Alec whenever he had glanced over at the man. A couple of times Magnus had waved at him, the metal of his rings catching the bright lights of the pitch.

It had made him smile, remembering the way that Magnus had noticed him. And then the situation he was in would come creeping back in. Tomorrow would either go one of two ways: this whole thing would turn out to be part of his imagination, Magnus could never read minds and Alec was overreacting about the whole situation. Or it will be the most embarrassing day of Alec’s life when he finds out that Magnus can actually read minds and has heard everything Alec has ever thought about him.

Alec groaned, turning over in his bed. _Get it together, Alec. If Magnus really cared what you were thinking, don’t you think he’d be more obvious? No. Of course he wouldn’t, you idiot. He wouldn’t want to let it on that he could hear what you were thinking. Alec ran his hands over his face, pulling the duvet up around his chin. But he was nice to you, told you he was there for you. Surely he wouldn’t do that if he was weirded out, right? Right. That’s better. Tomorrow’s going to be fine. Absolutely fine, nothing can go wrong._

_Apart from you completely making a fool of yourself. Just that._

Alec turned over, shoving his face into the pillow with a groan. This was going to be a long night.

~*~

When Alec stepped into class the next day, he looked around the classroom for the familiar flash of sparkle and colour that occupied the desk in front. Magnus didn’t seem to have arrived yet and Alec took a deep breath before sitting at his desk. _You can do this, Alec. All you have to do is say something like “Hey, Magnus. You know the answer to this question?” or “hey, if you can hear me then please give me a sign.” That’s not too bad, right? And then if he doesn’t respond, you can move on with your day._

“Hey, well done last night.” Alec was snapped out of his thoughts when a hand gripped his shoulder. He spun round in his chair to find Magnus grinning at him. “You were anxious about nothing. You killed it.”

_What’s he talking about? Oh… right. Of course. The game._ “Oh, thanks.” Alec returned the smile. “Thanks for the support.”

Magnus grinned more. “It was my pleasure. My services are available at any time.”

Alec didn’t have a chance to respond before the teacher arrived, sending everyone back to their seats.

_Okay, Alec. You survived the first encounter of the day. Good job. Now just the rest…_

The rest of the class was boring, as to be expected. Alec tried to find an opportunity to test out his theory, but for the first time in ages, their teacher had decided to actually teach instead of handing out worksheets. The whole class was too focused on writing notes to be able to think anything other than equations on the board. Fate seemed to play its hand as Alec lost his concentration for a moment, thinking about when would be a good opportunity for the experiment when he realised that the teacher had carried on and Alec had missed a large chunk of the exam content.

_Shit, now what do I do? I can’t ask Mr. Starkweather to repeat it. That’d look so bad. He looked around the class, finding everyone else stuck down, heads buried in their notes and when his eyes cast over Magnus, it was almost as if a light bulb went off in his brain. Hey, uh, Magnus? I don’t know if you can hear me, but can I borrow your notes? I’ll wait after class._ There wasn’t a reaction from Magnus that he could see, but Alec supposed that was to be expected.

Once Mr. Starkweather started on the next point, Alec began continuing his notes and hoped to any deity out there that his words had been heard.

The rest of the lesson was a drag. Alec was watching the clock, his hands getting sweatier the closer it reached the hour and when the bell rang to signal the end of class, he felt his heart in his throat. The students filed out one by one, chatting amongst themselves and soon enough Mr. Starkweather left as well leaving the room empty apart from Alec. Alec and the figure situated five seats down from him. Now that they were alone, Alec felt every word he had planned leave his brain. The only noise he could hear were his own breaths, coming out harder than he would’ve liked them to. He kept his eyes trained on Magnus, who hadn’t yet moved from his seat.

“Magnus? Are you okay?” Alec tried to make his voice as calm as possible, but he would be lying if he said there wasn’t a tremble in them. There wasn’t a reaction from the other man immediately and Alec grew more fearful. What if he’d made a huge mistake by figuring out his secret?

A couple more seconds passed before Magnus stood, making his way towards Alec’s desk. He simply placed the paper full of notes down on the table before making a move towards the classroom door. Alec’s heart was in his throat as the other man walked over it flipped in his chest before sinking as Magnus walked away.

“Wait!” Magnus stopped in the doorway, turning his head back to look at him emotionlessly. Alec had spun around in his chair, eyes wide and cheeks flushed with anger. “That’s it?? No explanation? No ‘now that you know, I have to kill you’?”

Magnus let out a loud, cheerful laugh that echoed through the empty room. He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe amused. “You really are something, aren’t you?”

Alec’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment this time. “What do you mean?”

“I thought you already knew.”

“I… what?” Alec was struck with confusion at Magnus’ words. _How could he have known?_

“Well you went to Dorothea’s little showcase. Surely she explained it.”

“Not about that!” Alec could feel frustration slowly slip into his words now. Magnus seemed to notice the change in mood and he shifted uncomfortably. “For the past year you’ve been hearing every single one of my thoughts and you never thought to say or do anything?” Alec stood up, palms curling into themselves. “You flirted and played with me - like you wanted me to like you, but you were really just leading me on this entire time? Are you seriously that egotistical that you would try to keep the guy who likes you – _actually likes you_ – interested enough to keep thinking about you all of the time for your own narcissistic benefit. Without actually doing anything about it?”

Magnus flinched at the words, taking a step into the room and closing the door behind him. There was hurt flickering in his eyes and his mouth opened and closed as if he was thinking of saying something and then stopping himself. “What? Can’t think of anything to say in your defence?” Alec shook his head. “I can’t believe this… I went through every scenario of what could’ve happened today, but I never expected this.”

“You remember the other day? When you ran into me?” Magnus finally decided to speak up, crossing his arms over his chest and his expression growing stern. Alec nodded, firmly remembering the encounter. “You were worried that someone would catch us. That it would go around school that Alec Lightwood, captain of the football team and son of corporation giant Robert Lightwood, was gay. Why do you think I didn’t say anything to you, Alec? Because I’m a dick? Trust me, I might like the attention, but that doesn’t mean I am what I eat.” Magnus raised his eyebrow, his usual smirk crawling back onto his face.

The new information sent Alec’s mind reeling. He had been protecting him? Was that was it was? “I… oh.”

Magnus stepped closer, placing himself a metre away from Alec. “Remember I don’t just hear thoughts about me, I hear them all. I heard when you were freaking out because your team had been discussing which girls around the school were cute and you were trying to figure out which one would be a good choice as you didn’t know. I heard when your little brother had gotten into your room one morning and gotten hold of your journal. You’d spent all day worrying that your dad would find out and what would happen.” His expression softened and Alec looked away, glancing down at the floor. “I was willing to wait until you were ready to approach me.” Magnus chuckled. “Although believe me, it was hard. Especially when you knocked me over the other day. I was just about ready to pull you into the nearest janitor closet.”

Alec felt his cheeks burn with shame and he kept his eyes downcast. “I… I’m sorry. For assuming that you were making fun of me. ” The feeling of fingers on his jaw turned Alec’s gaze upwards and he felt his breath hitch at the sight of Magnus’ eyes so close to his own.

“And I apologise for not coming across as more approachable than I thought I was being.”

“Do you want to go out sometime?” The words rushed out of Alec’s mouth before he even had a chance to properly stop himself. His eyes widened at the outburst and he watched as Magnus’ own copied the action, apparently in just as much shock as Alec was. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to, I just figured that we’d already gotten this far and-“

“I’ve been waiting for almost a year for you to ask me that.” Magnus grinned and Alec felt all of his anxieties leave him.

He sagged with relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “Is that a yes?”

“It’d be a waste of my time to say no, so yes. Of course, it’s a yes.”

“Fantastic. I’m free on Saturday?”

~*~

It’s finally happening. After all this time, you’re finally going on a date with Magnus freaking Bane and you can’t even find something suitable to wear. Alec groaned, flopping back onto his bed. There were 45 minutes left until Magnus was coming to pick him up and he’d spent the last hour picking through his wardrobe with a fine tooth comb to choose something that would look good and he struck out with every outfit he picked.

A knock at the door was his only warning before Isabelle let herself into his room. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up.”

There was amusement in Isabelle’s voice and Alec didn’t make a move from his spot on the bed, waving his arms vaguely in the direction of his closet. “It’s hopeless, Iz. I have nothing good enough to wear on a date with him and he’s going to think I’m an idiot. Probably even regret he agreed to this.” The bed dipped next to him and he looked over at his sister. Isabelle tutted at him, motioning for him to sit up.

“What about that outfit that you wore to Thanksgiving last year? That looked good.”

“It has holes in it, remember? I spilt gravy and Luke’s dog decided to tear at my shirt?” Isabelle chuckled at the memory. “Oh yeah, I remember. Mom was so mad.”

“Do you think I could steal something of Jace’s?” It was no secret that out of the brothers, Jace ultimately had the better fashion sense. His leather jacket and jean style was a hit with everyone and at one point Alec had been insanely jealous of the attention he received because of it.

“Alec, you’re so much taller than Jace. Plus Jace is broader in the shoulders. It would look like a doll’s clothing on you.” Alec groaned again, standing up to head back to his closet. “Can you help me? Please?”

There was a slightly more enthusiastic glint to Isabelle’s eye and Alec briefly wondered for a moment if he had made the right choice.

~*~

There was no denying that Alec’s heart was doing somersaults when Magnus finally knocked on the door. Isabelle had managed to throw together an outfit that she felt suited the occasion and after going through a speech in his head, he had felt prepared for the other man’s arrival. The knock on the front door, however, pushed everything he had worked on out of his mind.

It had been the perfect opportunity, with both of the Lightwood parents out of town on a business, there was no chance that his parents would be able to ask any questions about why there was a man turning up on their doorstep and asking for Alec. The backup plan had been that Alec would say he was going to Simon’s house and Magnus would pick him up from there. He was glad they hadn’t had to resort to that option, for as much as Simon had grown on him, he still talked way too much when excited.

He opened the door, feeling his heart stop for a second as he soaked in the figure on the other side. Alec had always thought that Magnus was beautiful, there was no denying it, but tonight he was on a whole other level. His usual make-up had been toned down, the eyeshadow a soft gold to compliment his eyes and liner just subtly there. His outfit was a pair of black jeans, topped with a dark purple shirt that opened at the front exposing just enough of his chest that Alec couldn’t look away from the golden skin there. He looked natural, like he had stripped back his usual glamour and showing Alec what the real Magnus Bane was like.

“Wow… you look…” _Wonderful? Magnificent? Beautiful? Like the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on?_

Magnus chuckled, placing a hand over his mouth as he did. Alec felt his cheeks betray him and turn red. “Thank you, Alexander. You look rather splendid yourself.”

Alec shook his head, gesturing to his own outfit of worn blue jeans and a black button down shirt. “I have nothing on you.”

He lost himself in Magnus’ appearance, letting his eyes linger for longer than he should’ve and it wasn’t until a small ball of fluff tried to run past his legs. He grabbed the cat who yowled in his arms before dumping it back inside the house and closing the door. “Sorry, my little brother’s cat is a nightmare. Uh… we should be going… before the neighbours suspect anything. You’d be surprised at how nosy they are”

“Your neighbours would really rat you out to your parents?” Magnus raised an eyebrow at the assumption.

“Oh, yeah. One time Jace and Isabelle decided to throw a house party while they were gone and the neighbours called my parents. They were home within an hour and shutting the whole thing down.”

“Well then, I suppose we should be going. I’d hate for this date to end before it’s even begun.” The smile he gave sent a whole new wave of butterflies churning through Alec’s stomach.

The car ride had been pleasant, Alec discovering that he actually didn’t mind Magnus’ taste in music. He had even heard some of the songs before and managed to sing along to the chorus of a couple of songs. Magnus hadn’t told him where they were going, just that he was to be prepared for somewhere nice.

The restaurant, as it turned out, happened to be somewhere that his family had frequented before. Despite how confident he had felt previously in the car, the doubts in Alec’s mind began to creep back as he thought about the many friends of his parents that also came to this restaurant. _Oh shit, I hope no one recognises me…_

Magnus turned his head towards Alec, concern in his expression. “Did you want to go somewhere else?”

Alec looked back at Magnus, shaking his head. “No, here’s fine. Why would you think that?”

“Alec… I can read your mind, remember?” Magnus tapped the side of his head, right at his temple. There was amusement in his expression and Alec had to stop himself from cursing.

“No, here’s fine. I promise.” Alec smiled, taking Magnus by the arm and pulling him towards the door. He heard Magnus chuckle behind him and couldn’t stop the grin that pulled across his face. Some part of him was almost thrilled to be finally going out in public on a date. With a man. In a place where anyone could see them. He could worry about the consequences later.

The night was magical. They ate as much food as their stomachs would allow, taking full advantage of the Saturday night all-you-can-eat deal. Magnus made Alec laugh so hard that his chest hurt and there were tears in his eyes as they joked about teachers in school or lessons they had taken. Alec shared a few of his funniest moments from the football team and how there were so many opportunities were Alec just wanted to scream at them “Hey! I’m not straight!”. Those made Magnus laugh in return, mumbling something under his breath about ‘straight males’ and Alec chuckled along, sipping from his drink.

At some point during the meal, they had ended up with their hands intertwined on the table, fingers idly running over each other in plain sight and Alec caught himself grinning at their hands more than once. He had noticed a few people that belonged to his parents’ social circle and whenever he caught them staring, he would wave his free hand before squeezing Magnus’ fingers with the other.

There was something special about the way Magnus’ face looked when he was happy. It was as if nothing could hurt him, that he was invincible to anything else around him, apart from the person that was making him happy. And that was how he was looking at Alec now. Like Alec was the only person in the world, both of them protected under this bubble of happiness where nothing could touch them. Alec couldn’t stop himself looking in his eyes, mesmerised by the hues of colour that reflected the lights in the restaurant and sparkled like the stars outside in the sky. He let himself savour the way Magnus’ lips looked, so soft from the lip gloss he was wearing and pulled up into an almost sinful smile. He was so entranced that he almost didn’t catch how those same lips moved, forming into the shape of words. It wasn’t until they dropped from their smile that Alec found himself snapping from his daze.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, I think we should get out of here. They look ready to close.” Magnus chuckled as Alec glanced around the restaurant, realising they were the only two remaining. He fought back the disappointment as Magnus unlaced their fingers so he could grab his coat from the back of the chair. Alec stood himself, gathering his own things before moving back, sliding his fingers through Magnus’ again. He couldn’t help it, it was like now that he’d had a taste, he never wanted to let go.

Magnus grinned at the gesture, squeezing his fingers slightly before making his way to the entrance of the restaurant. They thanked the staff before stepping out into the cold night air and Alec suppressed the shiver that went through him. He really should’ve brought another coat. As if he could almost sense that Alec was cold, Magnus moved to wrap his arm around Alec’s waist, pulling him closer against his side and Alec melted into the warmth, his own arm reaching under Magnus’ jacket and across his stomach.

Magnus jolted at the touch, biting down on his lip to suppress a giggle and Alec quirked his eyebrow at the noise, running his hand along the stretch of skin again. This time Magnus erupted in a fit of giggles, stopping their walk back to the car and dodging away from Alec’s fingers.

“Magnus Bane, are you ticklish?” Alec couldn’t keep the amusement from his voice as his fingers caught the same point, sending his victim into another fit of laughter.

“Stop! I surrender!” Magnus was bent at the waist, arms folded across himself. “You’re going to ruin my mascara!”

Alec laughed, pulling his hands back and holding them up in front of him. “Okay, okay. In the name of eye-makeup protection, I surrender.”

Magnus breathed in dramatically, throwing his own hands up before straightening himself. Sure enough, there were now small smudges under his eyes from where the tears had reached his eyeliner and Alec tried not to draw attention to them. Magnus, however, seemed to pick up on the reaction and groaned, reaching for his pocket mirror. “See, Lightwood, look what you’ve done. I look like a panda. As adorable as pandas are, it’s not a look that suits me.”

Alec bit back his own giggle, moving forward once again to wrap his arms around Magnus’ waist over his jacket. “I can think of a way to take your mind off of it.”

This prompted a raised eyebrow and Magnus turned to face Alec. “And how would you do that? This is perhaps the worst thing that’s ever happened on a first date.”

There was nothing harsh about his tone and Alec leaned closer, their lips barely touching. Magnus could feel his smirk against his lips and when Alec spoke it was barely a whisper. “By ruining your lip gloss as well.” And Magnus couldn’t say a single word in response before Alec closed the gap between them, their lips fully connected.

In all the 18 years that Alec had been alive, he had never found a place that he truly fitted in. Despite being welcome at many places - home, school, the football team, with the small group of people he called his best friends in middle school - none of them were really where he felt he belonged. It had been something that Alec had torn himself over, trying to work out why he felt so out of place wherever he went, how he could be surrounded by so many people and still feel lonely.

He knew why now.

After 18 years of searching, he had found his place in Magnus Bane. In the way that their lips connected so perfectly, every second sending more and more energy through Alec’s body until he felt electrified, his nerves threatening to explode at any second and yet Alec couldn’t stop himself from wanting more. He pulled Magnus closer, ensuring that no part of them was separate from the other and the moan from Magnus’ mouth only prompted him on further. The night was cold and yet Alec had never felt so warm. He was melting into the kiss and was in no hurry to break it anytime soon. Magnus seemed perfectly fine with the decision, turning his head for a more comfortable position and Alec felt like the entire experience had changed.

_Oh, God. I love you._

Alec pulled back at the words, breath heavy and eyes lidded as he looked at Magnus. The words were still echoing in his head and it took him a moment before he realised why they had caught him so off guard. He hadn’t been the one to think them. Magnus looked just as stunned as Alec did, eyes wide and glimmering with passion as he cocked his head, confused as to why they’d stopped. “Is something wrong?”

“I… what?” Had he really just heard Magnus’ thoughts? Had Magnus truly said that he had loved him? “I just, I thought you said something.”

“As if you gave me a chance to speak at all.” Magnus chuckled, pulling Alec close and lacing their fingers together before beginning their walk again. “That was wonderful.”

“That’s an understatement.” Alec ducked down, giving Magnus another kiss before stepping into the passenger side. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and wondered how his whole appearance could’ve changed within ten minutes. There was a huge grin on his face that no matter how hard he tried, wouldn’t go away. His lips were red, slightly puffed from the cold and kissing and his hair mussed from Magnus’ fingers. He looked happy. Alec had always wondered what that would look like, to be truly happy. He wasn’t willing to part with this look for a while.

The drive back was in a comfortable silence, they were sitting close enough that their arms brushed against each other, both of them unwilling to break contact just yet. Alec felt his heart sink at the sight of his house, signalling the end of their night. Magnus stopped the car, turning to face Alec. “I just wanted to say… that was the best date I’ve ever been on.” Alec twisted himself to face the other man, the already wide grin just growing bigger.

“Mine too, but I don’t have anything to compare it with,” he chuckled, taking Magnus’ hand in his own and running their fingers together. “I don’t want to go inside…”

“Oh, Alexander. I’ll still be here whenever and wherever you need me to be. I promise.” Magnus pulled their hands over, placing a kiss on top of Alec’s knuckles and Alec blushed, somehow his grin only growing wider.

“Kiss me again? One more time?”

It was half an hour later that Alec finally managed to make his way back into the house. There was lip gloss all over his chin, his hair sticking out in all directions and nothing could wipe the grin off of his face. He made his way upstairs, flopping down onto the bed with a sigh and stared up at the ceiling, the glow in the dark stars that had been there since he was kid looking down at him. He had always had a fascination with stars and perhaps that was what had drawn him to Magnus in the first place, the way he lit up a room so brightly that even the brightest star would seem dull compared to him. Alec had thought a lot about Magnus in the past year, but as he went to bed that night, sleep finally overtaking him, there was only one thought that coursed through his mind.

_I think I love you too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: @ragnorfellintomyheart  
> Twitter: @ireadwaytoomuch
> 
> Thank you again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: @ragnorfellintomyheart  
> Twitter: @ireadwaytoomuch
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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